The Last Ring
by Speedy1236
Summary: The way through Eggmanland, Wing Fortress, Final Egg and other bases of Dr. Eggman's can easily be deadly. So you better hold on dearly to the last ring you have left… You could easily be a goner otherwise. - oneshot


_Speedy's note: Not much to say to this one. Just a very short oneshot on a tragic occurance that can happen to you in most Sonic games... and that always does happen far from the next checkpoint. ;)_

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><p><strong>The Last Ring<strong>

The ground and ceiling were part of one giant death trap, beset with spikes as large as he was tall and easily matching his own quills in sharpness. The moment Sonic realized what he was caught between, the upper part of the trap was already descending towards him. A few more seconds and he'd be first skewered and then what was left of him would be neatly pancaked under a ton of iron.

Panic fuelled into his tired body and Sonic leapt clear of the platform he had been standing on, making it just barely to the next. He landed awkwardly and thought he sprained a foot, but there was no time to consider it. He scrambled back to his feet, ducking his head to escape the polished metal of the blades and jumped again.

The next platform was even further away than the last, but out of the trap's reach. Instead, there was a normal ceiling above it… and what looked a little too much like a bottomless pit below. Not quite a place of comfort either, but right now the blue hedgehog couldn't have cared less.

Sonic distantly considered he might have made it if he wasn't already worn out and injured. As things were now, he didn't. The jump dropped him just an armlength too short of the platform and he screamed out when the huge floor spikes tore into his legs. Instinct reacted even through the haze of pain and Sonic pulled himself up the platform's edge, just in time so the upper part of the trap just barely grazed him.

On hands and knees was as upright as Sonic could manage right now. Dizzily and for a second without comprehending, he heard a soft _ting_ sound and a vague wave of relief washed over him when the most acute pains receded. The sensation of the small amount of chaos energy the ring released into his body before being catapulted out of him from the impact of its act just served to increase his dizziness and Sonic just numbly watched the golden round being flung away from him.

In bounded onto the ground, hopped off it with an outworldish lightness. Once, twice, thrice it bounced on the floor, almost graceful and shining, then it tripped itself over the not so far edge of the platform and plummeted into the depth beyond it.

"_No_!" Sonic realized way too late what was happening. Suddenly drained, he could only sit and watch for precious seconds, then, in a futile attempt to prevent the inevitable he stretched out a shaking hand, but the ring was long gone from his reach and he could only stare at the dark abyss it had fallen into and at his empty hand, flickering like the rest of him with the after effects of the ring loss.

After a frozen second or two, Sonic dropped his hand, momentarily needing it for stability. Head low and ears drooped, the hedgehog sat panting until his head stopped spinning and he wasn't pulsing transparent anymore. He was only dully aware of the pain from his foot and the scrapes and bruises the single ring he'd still held had not been enough to heal completely.

The single ring he'd held, yeah. His last one. The last stupid precious ring, and he'd just dropped it. He'd _lost_ it.

Warily the hedgehog lifted his head, shooting a glance at the way ahead. If he made it across the next few platforms without going the way of the ring and falling to his death, he'd end up in what looked like another corridor with robots and laser fences and spike traps and possibly other equally lethal things.

Sonic lowered his head again, a drop of sweat running down from his neck to his back where it disappeared somewhere between fur and quills. Going on, going through any of Eggman's screwed up fortresses was an attempt at suicide. He'd had one insurance, one single little help to survive this.

It had just fallen into a pit.

Forcefully shaking his head, Sonic braced his hands against the floor and picked himself up, carefully testing his foot. He grimaced. It wasn't great, but it would have to do. He stretched a little, trying to work the sore stiffness out of protesting muscles, then stopped and gave the platform ahead a firm look.

The game wasn't over yet. With losing his last ring, a new level had started, though. A game of Russian roulette on his life. Chaos knew if he would reach the end of this deadly maze and survive the confrontation with another sick robot Eggman would surely await him in. Heck, chaos knew if anyone would take bets on him now.

A small, but fiery grin fought its way to Sonic's face. Screw all odds. He'd take the bet on himself. This better be one of his lucky days… 'cause no-one ever taught Sonic the hedgehog when it was time to stop.

Still grinning in spite of himself, he used the most run-up he could get on a less than two meters long platform and took the daring jump. It would be just the first of many.


End file.
